Egypt’s new Constitution supported by the overwhelming majority of people and put in effect

Adly Mansour, Egypt's interim President
(Image: Middle East Monitor)

The Head of Egypt’s High Electoral Committee Nabil Salib has announced the official results of the national Constitutional referendum, held on 14-15 January in Egypt and one week earlier for Egyptian citizens living abroad.

Egypt’s High Electoral Committee gas declared that the newly amended Constitution was supported by 98.1% of voters who cast their votes, what are equal 19,985,389 voters. The voter turnout was 38.6%, what is higher than during the 2012 Constitutional referendum, while Islamist backed Mohamed Morsi was Egypt’s President.

Ali Saleh, Presidential advisor for the constitutional affairs, has stated that the Constitution was put in effect immediately after declaring the official results of voting.

The next steps according the political roadmap introduced by the Armed Forces after Mohamed Morsi’s ouster on 3 July 2013 include holding parliamentary and presidential elections. Constitution doesn’t mention whether the parliamentary or the presidential elections should be held first, it’s only declared that the second elections should be held within 6 months since approval of the national charter. Thus, it is up to the interim President Adly Mansour to decide what elections will be held first.

Adly Mansour in his turn is expected to address Egyptians with the official speech on Sunday, 19 January, to announce the results of the referendum and the following steps. Some reports have been circulating in media during the day claiming that Adly Mansour has allegedly taken the decision and will set the date for the presidential elections in March. But this information was denied by the Presidential sources. It was stated that in the speech scheduled for Sunday Adly Mansour will not declare presidential elections’ date.